Humble Beginnings
by knobblyfruit
Summary: Something short and sweet. I don't want to spoil for you. :P


**It's me again. This is what I was doing during my writer's block for "Remembering to Forget." It's short and sweet. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Nay, I do not own any of the characters portrayed in this fic.**

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Fenton Hardy was at the local New York City police station, talking with the chief about his current case. Three murders in one neighborhood, most likely committed by the same person (or persons, for that matter). There was so little to go on at this point.

It was nearly 2:00 in the afternoon when his cell phone went off, vibrating in his front shirt pocket. He quickly answered it. "Hardy here."

As he listened to the person on the other end, his face went pale. "I'll be right there," he said, and hung up abruptly. He looked at the chief. "Sorry, I've got to go. It's an emergency." With that, he ran out the door and into his car.

He drove off, angry at himself for even leaving home. Laura had insisted everything would be fine, that he was only being paranoid and nothing would happen while he was gone. If that was the case, why the hell was he rushing to the hospital now?

He did take a moment to be glad that this didn't happen while traffic was bad, but he couldn't remember the hospital ever being this far away from the police station before. He only hoped he could get there in time.

A few minutes later (though it felt like a few hours), he pulled into the parking lot. He found a place to park relatively close to the entrance and quickly went into the building. Too impatient to take the elevator, he took the stairs two at a time to the 4th floor. It took everything he had not to run to his wife's room.

His mother-in-law was waiting outside the door. When she saw Fenton, she sighed in relief. "I almost thought you wouldn't make it on time." She opened the door and almost shoved him in. "He's finally here, Laura."

"Oh, thank God." Laura looked at her husband and smiled weakly. Sweat was running down her face. "Hi, sweetie."

He grabbed her hand and pushed the hair out of her blue eyes. "I came as fast as I could. Are you all right?"

"So far," she replied. Then a look of pain crossed her face and she closed her eyes. "Oh, God. Oh, God."

"Laura, I think it's time," a soft voice spoke up. Fenton looked up to see it was Dr. Cameron.

"Yeah." Laura was nodding, her eyes still closed. "Yeah."

Everything after that was nothing but a blur for Fenton. He didn't care what the instructor had said; no class can truly prepare you for this. He was having just as much trouble breathing as his wife was. It got kind of loud between Laura's yelling and Dr. Cameron giving out orders and the nurses replying and encouraging, but there was no mistaking the small cry coming from the end of the bed. Everyone else became quiet as the crying got louder. Fenton's mouth suddenly went dry.

Dr. Cameron looked up at him, smiling. "Congratulations. It's a boy."

"A boy?" Laura squeaked, breathless.

Fenton grabbed a towel off the end table and wiped the sweat off her face. "You did good, honey. You did real good." She looked up to see him grinning. She couldn't help but laugh. He kissed her forehead. "You're a mommy now, you know."

"And you're a daddy," she replied, still smiling. He nodded. 'I'm a daddy now,' kept running through his head. He left her side to watch the nurse clean the baby and measure him. He had already stopped crying and was looking around him as if wondering where he was.

The nurse set him on the scale and waited a few moments. Fenton watched the digital numbers go up and finally stop. "Seven pounds, six ounces," the nurse announced. "That's pretty good." She carefully picked the baby up again and wrapped him in a soft blue blanket. Then she offered him to Fenton.

He had never been more careful with anything in his life, even with other babies he had held. Nothing seemed as important as his own child. The boy had unruly dark hair and big, brown eyes that Fenton could have fallen into. He could hardly believe that this was his little boy.

His thoughts were interrupted by an, "Ahem!" from Laura. "I'd like to see our son, too."

Fenton smiled apologetically. He went to put the baby in his mother's arms. "Oh, he's perfect," Laura whispered when she saw him. She tilted her head, thinking. "He needs a name, Fenton."

He nodded. "I thought we decided on Matthew."

Laura shook her head. "I know, but he doesn't look like a Matthew to me."

Fenton sighed. It had taken forever to decide on that name. "Then what do you think he looks like?"

She was silent for a minute, staring at her son, who had now fallen asleep. "He looks just like you," she said absently.

"Yes, he does. Are you suggesting Fenton, Jr.?" he chuckled.

"Of course not." She paused. "But he does kind of remind me of your Great Uncle Frank, especially with all that hair."

"Frank?"

"Frank Matthew!" She looked up at Fenton. "Isn't that a perfect name?"

Fenton only smiled and reached for the baby's tiny hand. It instinctively wrapped around Fenton's finger. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Welcome to the world, Frank Matthew Hardy," he said softly.


End file.
